Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Celebrating the five full
decades of Star Trek should be a yearlong event, so I thought I would spread
the love of all things Trek. Previously in this series I wrote about why I love the Original Series and then why I loved the Next Generation. Next up, Captain
Benjamin Sisko and the diverse crew of Deep Space Nine.

In 1993 we were
introduced to a new type of Star Trek. Instead of being the adventures of the
Enterprise and her crew, the focus would be the happenings of a space station
with a motley crew of Starfleet officers and their Bajoran counterparts. The
station, named Deep Space Nine, would find itself on the edge of a stable
wormhole, and soon the focal point of intergalactic interest. What would follow
would be seven seasons of intriguing characters, fascinating stories, and
another chapter in the Star Trek universe. Deep Space Nine became a very
unusual entry in the world of Star Trek. It was the first time that two Trek
series would be on the air at the same time. Being set in the same era as the
Next Generation, there was room for some good cross-overs, starting with
Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the pilot. It brought certain species into the
forefront of the mythos, most notably the Cardassians, the Bajorans, the
Ferengi, and the Trill. Some fans looked at this new show as the Black Sheep of
the family as it seemed to depart a bit from the usual “everyone in the
Federation gets along” motif. Instead, there was more conflict among the main
characters. There was more grit and less polish in the set. The stories were a
bit darker in tone. People did not get along to the same level as we had seen
in Trek up to this point. Building relationships was a lot dirtier than we had
been accustomed to. For many of the fans, it felt more realistic. Less utopian,
but more realistic. For seven years we were treated to powerful story-telling,
intense action, and compelling characters. The third live-action series was a
great ride, and it was one of my favorite series of all time. Here are Five
Reasons I Love Deep Space Nine.

1.The Dominion – While not
always a sure hit, the Dominion provided something that had not been seen in
the Trek for a while; a worthy adversary. The Original Series had the Klingons
and the Romulans. The Next Geneartion continued with the Romulans and tried out
the Ferengi and, more successfully, the Borg. Deep Space Nine had started with
the Cardassians, then introduced the Maquis, and even mixed it up with the Klingons
again, but it wasn’t until the Dominion that we had a really tough villain to
go up against. One of the things I loved most about the Dominion was that they
weren’t just automatically the military aggressors. They started with mystery,
intrigue, and espionage. Then, in the Season 2 finale, the Dominion roared into
the fray with the episode “The Jem’Hadar”. In the third season, we see that Odo
is one of the Founders, the changeling race that created the Dominion, and we
see a great story arc for our Constable. It was because of the Dominion that we
saw some of the greatest fleet battles, something which we had never seen
before or since. It was because of the Dominion that we finally got to see the
Federation, the Klingons and the Romulans form an awesome alliance. We had seen
super soldiers in the past, but the Jem’Hadar took the concept to the highest
level. We had seen manipulators in the past, but the Vorta proved to be masters
of the craft. No other adversary took the Federation so close to the brink, and
the Dominion was a huge reason many of us came back week after week.

2.Secondary characters – I
wrote an article that ranked the different series in their ability to develop secondary characters. It should be little surprise that Deep Space Nine reigned
supreme in this category. So many amazing and fascinating characters came and
went from our beloved space station. We saw great devious villains like Dukat,
Weyoun, and Kai Winn. We found delightful humor in the likes of Grand Nagus Zek
and Brunt. There were mighty warriors like Martok and Shakar. We also had some
fascinating character development from some unlikely sources. Damar, going from
Cardassian officer to Dominion puppet to resistance fighter was so
multi-faceted. Plain, simple Garak became anything but. Nog, who went from
thieving youth to promising Starfleet cadet. The list of compelling characters
included everything from the loveable Rom who was often taken advantage of by
his brother Quark to Klingon leader Gowron, who grew more in Deep Space Nine
than in Next Generation, to a self-aware hologram who could croon the classics
in Vic Fontaine. Heck, there was Morn, a popular character who appeared in over
ninety episodes, even had his own episode, and he never spoke a word. These
characters played excellent foils to our main cast and are a big reason for the
success of the series.

3.Fantastic storytelling –
Like all series, every episode was not a home run. There were a few stinkers,
but when you look at the depth of powerful stories, it’s easy to forgive those.
One of the strengths of the series was that while most episodes were stand-alone
tales, the thread of the overall story was skillfully woven throughout the
seven seasons. We saw some real gems that dealt with real issues. Racism,
specifically Earth’s racist history, was dealt wonderfully in the classic “Far
Beyond the Stars”. PTSD was deftly treated by Nog’s coming to grips with his
lost leg in “It’s Only a Paper Moon”. The horrors of war were grimly shown in
great tales such as “Nor the Battle to the Strong” and “The Seige of AR-558”
(where Nog lost his leg). We see excellent character examinations in greats
like “In the Pale Moonlight” and “Doctor Bashir, I Presume”. We laugh at the
fun had in “Take Me Out to the Holosuite” and cry during the most touching
episodes of all “The Visitor”. The storytelling in DS9 was exemplary and
continued on this great Trek tradition. The list of great episodes goes on and
on, but when one watches the show from the solid pilot “Emissary” to the
amazing finale “What You Leave Behind”, it is easy to see why the fans of this
show are so enthusiastic about it.

4.Respect to the past –
Many detractors argue that the different tone of the series was disrespectful
to the legacy of the franchise. I strongly disagree. No other series in the
Trek universe showed as much respect to TOS and TNG as DS9 did. Now, don’t get
me wrong. TNG showed proper respect with “Relics” and “Sarek”, as well as great
moments between the likes of Data and McCoy and Picard and Spock, but Deep
Space Nine took it to another level. Think of the inclusion of classic Klingon
characters Kang, Koloth, and Kor in the superbly done episode “Blood Oath”. The
show gave Chief O’Brien the focus he deserved. Many argue that Worf was able to
grow in so many ways that were difficult to do while he was serving on the
Enterprise. What the writers did with the Mirror Universe that was introduced
in the Original Series classic “Mirror, Mirror” was stupendous. I think,
however, the best argument can be made with the best crossover episode “Trials
and Tribbleations”. It took the classic tale of “The Trouble with Tribbles” and
spliced Sisko and his crew in the actual footage. Great lengths were made to
ensure that everything was just right, from the costumes and hairstyles to the
sets and props. While Voyager had their own great crossover episode, Deep Space
Nine hit a grand slam with this one.

5.Ben Sisko – I love
Captain Sisko. I think he is my favourite of all the captains. Don’t get me
wrong, Kirk and Picard are fantastic, but Sisko was a very different captain,
and it was necessary to keep the franchise fresh. I will admit that I didn’t
always feel this way about Sisko. I thought in the first season and a half that
the character had a lot of growth to do. A good part of it was how the
character was written, a portion due to Avery Brooks trying to find the right
rhythm with him. I would argue that once the writing and the acting meshed together
in the perfect mix, Sisko became the man to look up to and admire. Q visited
the station once, and Sisko knocked him flat on his rear end. I loved that.
Sisko was a diplomat and a soldier. He had honor when dealing with his enemies
(see “Rocks and Shoals” for a prime example). He was fiercely loyal to his
friends and family, devoted to Starfleet, but he also had flaws. Kirk and
Picard were almost too perfect, which is why they are so iconic, but Sisko had
weaknesses that made him more realistic. He was the Emissary of the Prophets
and the Starfleet officer who saved the Alpha Quadrant from the Dominion. He
was a mentor to the first Ferengi in Starfleet and the next incarnations of his
Trill mentor. He made decision on logic and passion. He had pride that
sometimes worked in his favour, but sometimes it led him to make mistakes. In
the episode “In the Pale Moonlight” he showed that he could dirty with the best
of the scoundrels. In “Take Me Out to the Holosuite” he showed he could admit
when he was wrong. Most of all, in my eyes, he was the best father depicted onStar Trek. His relationship with Jake was one of the best relationships in the
show. Look no farther than “The Visitor” for proof. Some may argue that Deep Space
Nine was a long story about Benjamin Sisko. I have no problem with that.

And there you are, my Top
5 Reasons for Loving Deep Space Nine. There are likely many reasons for loving
this show, so please feel free to add your thoughts in the comments. If there
is a special episode you would like me review, feel free to suggest it and I’ll
get to it as soon as I can. Next up, Star Trek Voyager!

Friday, September 23, 2016

Celebrating the five full
decades of Star Trek should be a yearlong event, so I thought I would spread
the love of all things Trek. Previously in this series I wrote about why I love
the Original Series. Next up, Picard and his crew aboard the USS Enterprise D
and my Five Reasons for why I love the Next Generation!

It’s hard to imagine that
TNG is almost 30 years old. For me, this is the series that I grew up with. I
remember the excitement of hearing about a new Star Trek series, and in 1987 we
began a seven year journey that furthered the story and ideology of creator
Gene Roddenberry. Sadly, it was during the height of TNG that we would lose
Gene, but he was able to see a renaissance of the franchise that has carried it
forward for decades to come. So, in continuation of my reasons for loving all
things Trek, I give you my Five Reasons for loving what became not only a
worthy successor to the Original series, but arguably the most successful
series in the franchise.

1.Familiar, yet new –
Whenever there is a sequel to a popular series, fans are anxious because they
want to see that which is familiar, but not have it be a blatant copycat of the
original. TNG achieved this in grand style. The ship is still the Enterprise
with a familiar approach to the design, but is now the flagship and much
sleeker. While Kirk and Picard are definitely different as captains, there is a
familiarity in Riker’s charm and swagger that reminds us of good ol’ James T.
Even the uniforms are familiar yet updated, with the same basic colors (red,
gold, and blue), just a bit of switching (how many of you were originally
concerned that all captains now wore red shirts!). It brought us a sense that
yes, this is Star Trek, but it is also something new and exciting.

2.Star Trek became cool in
mainstream – The Original Series was cancelled after three years (and we were
lucky to get the third season) due to low ratings. While you will get no
argument from me that Star Trek was and continues to be influential, the
franchise really jumped into the mainstream midway through the Next Generation.
TNG became a ratings juggernaut, which was impressive for a syndicated series.
Soon, it was beating out all comers, including the traditional powerhouse
Monday Night Football. When it ended its seven year run (which became the
unofficial bar for all future series to meet), it went out on top. Many thought
it could have gone on for a few more, but people were hoping to turn it into a
successful film franchise. TNG helped a lot in making it cool to be a Trekkie.
I can think of no bigger endorsement for Star Trek than to have Whoopi Goldberg
request to be a part of the show. To have an Oscar-winning A-lister Hollywood
want to be a large part of the franchise says something, and she was not alone.

3.A strong main cast and
the characters they played – I love the original crew, but the show revolved
around the triad of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy for the most part. On TNG, an
equally diverse cast spread the love a little more evenly. We had stories
dedicated to each of the main crew, and the actors who played them were solid. Gates
McFadden gave the compassionate Dr. Crusher a level of strength that helped her
character grow. Levar Burton brought a level of vulnerability and eagerness to
Geordi. Michael Dorn brought depth and respect to our favourite Klingon, Worf.
Marina Sirtis gave Troi a fierce conviction. Johnathan Frakes brought a sense
of professionalism and charm to Riker. Arguably the strongest actors were Brent
Spiner, whose portrayal of Data required such great discipline, and Sir Patrick
Stewart as Captain Picard, taking the leadership role to a new realm. Many of
these fine actors brought their theatre training as one of their assets, and
after watching an episode like “Frame of Mind”, “Brothers”, or “The Inner Light”,
we can see just how great an asset it was.

4.Story telling ahead of
its time – Ask anyone for their top 10 favorite Trek episodes, and there will
most likely be some real gems from TNG. “The Inner Light”, “Yesterday’s
Enterprise”, “Relics”, “The Measure of a Man”, “The Offspring”, “The Drumhead”,
and the list goes on. And let’s not forget the classic “The Best of Both
Worlds” that kept audiences trembling with anticipation for an entire summer,
desperate to know the fate of Picard in what is arguably one of the best
cliffhangers of all time. Yes, there were some duds (looking at you, Code of
Honor), but we had a good mix of wonderful tales that kept us coming back each
week. We dealt with the death of beloved crew member in “Skin of Evil”, tackled
themes such as sexual identity, torture, terrorism, and what constitutes life. The
stories also, and appropriately, brought us the odd tip of the hat to the
original crew, with episodes like “Sarek” and “Unification”. Suffice it to say,
the stories were more often than not very well told.

5.It has to be Q – From the
first to the last episode, Q has been there. John de Lancie appeared in eight
separate episodes and each one were memorable. OK, so “Hide and Q” may not have
been the best episode (it was one of de Lancie’s least favourite), but we did
see Wesley get the point! All bad puns aside, Q was often one of the highlights
of the season. We had the silly fun Q stories (Deja Q and Q-Pid), the serious tales
(Q Who and True Q), and the truly philosophical (Tapestry). And while the crew
were ultimately frustrated by this omnipotent rascal, we the audience were
delighted. I particularly thought that the pilot and series finale being the
ultimate bookend to the introduction to Q was perfect for the series. Q was a
perfect foil for Picard and gave us some great moments. Whether it was his
banter with the crew (“Growl for me micro-brain! Show me you still care!”), introducing
us to the Borg, trading verbal barbs with Guinan (likely my second most
favourite guest character) or teaching Picard about the value of a life lived
without regret, Q was always a welcome visitor to the show.

So there you go, my Top 5
reasons as to why I love the Next Generation. I have many others, and I am sure
that you have your own Top 5 list. Please feel free to share the reasons you
love Picard and the crew of the Enterprise D. If you want to know what my Top Ten favorite TNG episodes are, check out this link.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here.

Episode Overview – While beaming back from a
meeting with the Halkan people, Kirk, McCoy, Scotty, and Uhura experience a
transporter malfunction that places them in a parallel universe. The United
Federation of Planets has been replaced with the Terran Empire. In addition to
a bearded Spock, officers in Starfleet use brutality to advance their orders,
assassinations to advance in rank, and seek strength at all costs. Kirk and his
officers try to return to their universe while trying to avoid being killed at
the hands of the counterparts to their shipmates.

Episode Score – 9/10. What a great episode. Such a fun
way to have the actors play someone very different from their characters. The
whole “evil twin” scenario is expanded to the entire universe. While there are
some obvious similarities between the two universes (e.g. the Halkans are the
same in their desire for peace, even at the cost of their own lives), the rest
is almost day and night. We do get a brief glimpse of Kirk’s counterpart in the
Prime universe, and it would have been nice to see more of how he and the
others were, but it is sadly only a one hour show. Some cool differences
include Sulu, complete with facial scar, as head of security, and the new
uniforms. My one complaint is that some of the counter parts of the main
characters were spared a death when it did not make sense. I am speaking of Chekov
and Sulu. While Chekov being spared by Kirk can be explained as Kirk trying to
spare the life of someone who looked like one of his friends, Sulu’s is a bit
more of a stretch. In his last scene, Sulu confronts Kirk and the others in
sickbay, with a squad of security guards, start to disappear due to the
interference by the Captain’s woman, Marlena Monroe. She dispatches the
security guards, but not Sulu. Still, with that one flaw, I think the episode
is rightfully one of Trek’s finest.

Relevance – 3 points. Consider that this episode sets
the stage for five Deep Space Nine episodes, an exciting two-part Enterprise
episode, and several non-canon novels and comics, this is a very influential
episode on the Trek universe. Two points scored for the connections to both
Enterprise and DS9. A third point for the last scene of the episode which is
used in the DS9 “Trials and Tribble-ations” episode where Sisko replaces Monroe
in the scene.

Continuity – 3 points. Character continuity, check.
Kirk acts in a way we come to expect from the captain. Even Mirror Spock is
true to his Prime universe counterpart. Story continuity works well. Being the
first episode shown in this universe, it sets the stage for the rest, but there
are no contradictions. We also have the Trek universe showing continuity, so
the third point is well earned.

Character Development – 2 points. No major growth for
any one character, but a lot of highlighting well-established growth in more
than a few characters. Uhura shows some vulnerability to her Captain, but when
she is needed she brings on the strength. Kirk shows his quick-thinking as he
tries to do the right thing in a universe where doing so could cost him and his
crew their lives. Even Spock gets a great moment at the end where he gets a great
zinger off on Kirk and McCoy.

Social Commentary – 1 point. As is common for
some of these great episodes, it is tough to put my finger on a message being
given. Perhaps the idea that there is the capacity of evil in all of us, just
based on what environment you are raised in.

Cool Factor – 3 points. Seeing the evil counterparts
of the crew is definitely a highlight. I scored a second point for the detail
that was given to even the simplest differences (e.g. the ship’s computer
having a female voice in our universe while a male voice in the mirror
universe). The third point goes to some of the technology shown in the mirror
universe, such as the agony booth, the agonizers, and especially the Tantalus
device.

Rank – Admiral
(21 points). One of the gems of the Original Series. Especially if you are
watching DS9 and/or Enterprise, this episode would be a high recommendation,
but even in spite of that it is a must see.

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

While many people will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Star Trek airing for the first time on NBC this Thursday, September 8, today marks the actual 50th anniversary of the very first time that Star Trek hit the air anywhere. On September 6, 1966, the episode "The Man Trap" was aired for the first time... in Canada. With no disrespect meant for the rest of the world, Canada got the first view of what has become one of the greatest science fiction franchises and arguably the most influential piece of pop culture.

William Shatner at the Calgary Comic Expo, April 2016

Canada loves Star Trek, and we have made our fair contributions to it. From great actors like William Shatner and James Doohan in the original series, to Nicole de Boer of Deep Space Nine, plus many notable guest stars, to countless who worked behind the scenes, Canadians left their mark on this great franchise, and it seems fitting that the new series, Star Trek Discovery, is going to be filmed in Toronto. Oh, and let's not forget the unofficial Star Trek capital of Canada, if not the world, Vulcan Alberta, where the pharmacy has all the doctors on the wall, the tourist station is full of Trek props, and city hall is known as Starfleet headquarters.

The Enterprise that greets you to Vulcan, Canada

Trek has given us the odd nod from time to time. Wesley Crusher went skiing in Calgary with his cadet buddies. Toronto's city hall was one of the places that showed up in the Iconian gateway (if Picard hadn't known that the bridge of the Enterprise had shown up, I'm sure he would have happily stepped out into Toronto). Michael Eddington had a lucky loonie, and Sam Lavelle, whose grandfather was Canadian, thought that Riker was also Canadian because he was so awesome (sadly, Will was from Alaska, which is geographically closer to Canada than any of its amazing state brethren).

Stamp collection to honor 50 years of Trek

So, on this historic day, grab a glass of Canada Dry, a handful of maple-flavoured Timbits, pop in the first season DVD with the Man Trap, and sing a little "O Canada" as the intro music plays. All hailing frequencies open on the ship with the registry number NCC-1701-EH! Sorry, I couldn't resist that last bit.

Friday, September 2, 2016

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here.

Sisko, Quark, and Edirs confront their captors

Episode Overview – Jake and Nog get a chance in
a lifetime when Commander Sisko offers to take them to the Gamma Quadrant to
survey a planet as part of a school project. Much to Sisko’s chagrin, Quark
accompanies them. While on the planet Ben Sisko and Quark are taken prisoner by
a new species, the powerful Jem’Hadar, who claim to be a part of the Dominion.
As the two adults try to set aside their differences to escape, Jake and Nog
seek to get back to Deep Space Nine and find help.

Quark has a proposal for the commander

Episode Score – 8/10. This is an exciting episode that
not only effectively ends the second season but sets us up for the Dominion
War, which will become one of the great events of the series. While not an
official cliff-hanger episode that we became accustomed to in TNG, it does
leave us with a great deal of anticipation about the next season. This is an
episode that has a great deal of action while at the same time gives us some
great character development. There is great dialogue between Sisko and Quark,
and Jake and Nog get some good screen time.

Jake and Nog try to find help in a Runabout

Relevance – 3 points. This episode is one of those
crossroad episodes that serves as a major transition in the series. Some
(myself included) see this episode as a crucial switch from the excitement of
exploring a new region of space to something that is darker and a bit on the
ominous side. The Dominion had been mentioned in the episode “The Rules of
Acquisition”, and leading up to this episode the Dominion became like spectre
in the distance, dark and lurking, waiting to strike. Well, in this episode, it
strikes, and in a big way. In this episode, we meet the Jem’Hadar, the Vorta,
and hear mention of the Founders. We see that the Dominion will do anything to
make a statement. They have been watching the Federation for a while, and it’s
time to take things up to a new level.

Quark catches his sleeve on fire

Continuity – 2 points. Character continuity scores a
point. Quark does whatever he can spin a deal, and Sisko has a lot of mistrust
towards Quark. As Quark so effectively points out, Sisko has a prejudice
against Ferengi, and realizing it doesn’t sit well with him. Jake and Nog
continue to grow as characters and their friendship grows as well. Story
continuity gets a point as well. Everything follows what it should. Where this
episode loses a point is in the continuity of the Trek universe. While it will
not be established until the next season, the Vorta introduced here will not be
the Vorta we come to love to hate. Edris uses telekinetic powers, which were
cool, but were never seen again. It was also odd that when she meets Odo, she
does not identify him with the reverence that Vorta typically show towards a
Founder. According to Ira Steven Behr, this is because it had not been decided
that Odo was going to be a member of the Founders.

Talak'Talon, the first Jem'Hadar we meet

Character Development – 3 points. Lots of progression
in the development of characters. While little of it is Earth-shattering, we
see Sisko confronted with his dislike of Ferengi (and of Quark in particular).
Quark, while being his usual greedy
self, does manage to find some common ground with Sisko and shows that they can
be an effective team. We also continue to see Jake and Nog grow in their
characters and friendship. Where his father sees all Ferengi as trouble, Jake
sees Nog as something more, something worthy to help. Nog tries to be more than
the stereotypical Ferengi, and takes another step further along the path that
will eventually take him towards the uniform.

Jambalaya around the campfire

Social Commentary – 2 points. Amidst the action
and excitement of the arrival of the Dominion, we are given a very timely
lesson on the hazards of prejudism. When Quark confronts Sisko about his
dislike of Ferengi, it hits too close to home for Sisko. He comes to the
realisation that he sees the Ferengi not as an enemy, but something worse, as
inferior. Because the Ferengi culture has a set of ideological beliefs that
Federation culture has rejected, this somehow made Ferengi less than humans.
Quark, thanks to a wonderful speech given to him by the writers, points out
that while the Ferengi may have some flaws, they pale in comparison to the sins
committed by humans in the past (siting slavery and wars). It’s a great moment
where the Ferengi become more than a failed TNG villain.

Captain Keogh organizes a rescue mission with the DS9 officers

Cool Factor – 3 points. So much is cool in this
episode. The Jem’Hadar show themselves as a tough foe to fight and are the
first (official) face of the Dominion, which is impressive to say the least.
The battle between the Jem’Hadar and the Odyssey is also a great battle, a sign
of even greater things to come. At the time the Galaxy class starship was the
top of the line in the fleet, and to see a Jem’Hadar ship take it out is a
sight. I also thought the dialogue with Quark stating that Ferengi are better
than humans because, despite their flaws of greed and the like, they never had
anything like slavery or concentration camps in their history. It helps us put
our perspective in place.

The Jem'Hadar wishing Sisko was a Klingon

Rank – Admiral
(21 points). This is a very well-crafted episode and is a must watch on
everyone’s list. It launches us into the Dominion storyline at warp speed and
features great action, humor, and story-telling. We see some wonderful
exchanges between Sisko and Quark that is both entertaining and enlightening.

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About Me

A mild-manered science teacher who is missing his faithful dog Annie, loving his family, and ruler of his own domain (when life says he can). I love just about anything that is geeky, hate zombie and vampire movies in general, and love country music.